Mentoring · make it part of your DNA

Mentors come in many forms. The relationship need not be —and often is not— defined to be deemed a mentorship. Often, you may not fully realize the effect you’ve had on someone until, after years have gone by, a thoughtful thank-you note suddenly appears in your inbox.

I have always placed a priority on instilling the mentorship bug in each of our leaders so as to carry the life cycle through to the younger team members who are on their way up their career ladder. We hope that by setting good examples as leaders, we’ll inspire the next generation to do the same for those to come.

I was recently with Xavier Destribats now President Kempinski Europe and my mentor in Hyatt at the end of the 90s! Today when I need to make a pivotal career decision I will always lift the phone and reach out for some advice.

There have certainly been others over the course of my career who have provided opportunity and support, but I have to say Xavier really taught me how to understand hotels. I learned the key to hotel success lies first in understanding the guest, and then in defining the hotesl operations strategy to produce a story that leads guests to a memorable experience.

We never know for whom we may make a difference. I can tell you that most of the successful people I know probably have a story like mine —different characters, different opportunities, but always someone key in their life who was the turning point between wandering and focusing on one’s life’s work. I have been incredibly lucky to have met and worked with wonderful collegues and friends who have also played a key role in my career– Simon Mumby in Sydney, Francis Mallmann in Argentina, Xavier with Hyatt along with Achim Lenders, Exequiel Oteiza and Myles McGourty –the later ending up sourly but there were some good times– and also some wonderful people in Starwood sucnh as Batya Brykman and Pedro Groschopp.

To mentor is to genuinely care for the future of the person under your wing – to name a few I have been fortunate to mentor a number of fine individuals along my journey – from Ale Escudero, Fabio Nonato, Nico Cejas, Ale Rivada to name but a few – it is very gratifying.